Eye on News More than ‘Just A Minute’: Power NI expands Strategic Partnership with the Now Group

Power NI is taking greater steps in their strategic partnership with the NOW Group to aid employment and provide tailored support for participants, and to provide better services, support, and opportunities for those with Autism and Learning Difficulties.

In an aim to remove barriers to employment, Power NI, part of Energia Group, and the NOW Group are working closely to facilitate specialised employment academies and provide training and skill development to support NOW participants’ entry into the workforce.

The energy company is encouraging participants to apply for roles in the company to aid their transition into working life and kickstart a meaningful, wellsupported career. By providing work placements and site visits, NOW Group participants can get a clear picture of what it is like to work for Power NI including the environment that they would work in and the support that is available.

Alongside employment support, the partnership with the NOW Group serves as a direct pathway to collaboration on new projects and changes to Power NI’s processes. Through co-create workshops, the Power NI teams will avail of feedback and helpful direction from NOW Group participants on the usability of their platforms. Bringing new ideas to life with those in mind right at the forefront of the projects.

Gwyneth Compston, CSR Manager for Power NI spoke about the partnership:

“As the leading energy provider, we know how important it is to make sure that we can accommodate for everyone who needs us. All our customers, employees and stakeholders should feel understood, while equally being able to understand what we do and offer, and we know that there are always ways to make this better. We’ve been working with the NOW Group for quite some time and are so honoured to extend this partnership and have the expert support to provide better opportunities for those with autism and learning difficulties.”

The NOW Group, the organisation facilitating the JAM Card initiative in Northern Ireland, is a social enterprise that focuses on supporting people with learning difficulties and autism, into jobs with a future. They began work with Power NI in 2019, providing JAM (‘Just A Minute’) training to staff to recognise and support customers who may need more time or assistance. Power NI has continued this training and have been proudly extending the partnership into other branches of the business. The most notable being the employability opportunities and support.

Nicola Tipping, Business Development Manager of the NOW Group explains:

‘‘We are delighted to have Power NI as a NOW Group Strategic Partner. Power NI is a fantastic supporter of NOW Group and the work we do to help people with autism and learning disabilities into careers with a future. From ordering food from Loaf Catering to becoming a JAM Card Partner they support all elements of our social enterprise.

Staff members have completed JAM Card training that enables them to provide excellent service to customers with learning and hidden disabilities. By completing this training, Power NI staff will have the confidence to support all customers to access the help they need in a simple and easy way.’’

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